#FromScratch chronicles Stephie’s nutrition [r]evolution as she switches her thought process from “where should I eat” to “what should I eat”. Follow her series as she braves the supermarket, starts to cook and explore a new way of eating.

Friday nights are date nights for me and my husband. We usually go out; however, I am a tad under the weather so we stayed in last night.

On the Menu:

a 4 oz Filet for me; 8 oz for him [pasture raised and grass fed]

a sweet potato for me; a russet for him

water for me; beer for him

Now, for the choreography of the meal…

I prepped the potatoes with EVOO [and] a sprinkling of sea salt before placing them in a 400F oven while John [my husband] took our son to the middle school hangout.

While he was gone, the filets were set out to come to room temperature. Upon his return, It was time to prep the filets. We began by coating them with EVOO, and that is where our culinary path divides.

He chose to crust his filet in Montreal Seasoning [think salty, REALLY salty] while I opted for just a tad of freshly cracked sea salt.

The cooking of the steaks is John’s forte. He pan seared the filets, then finished them off in 400F oven.

While he was busy searing, I was gathering the add-ons for our baked spuds. The only add-on we share is organic butter. In addition to butter, John likes freshly grated sharp cheddar, sour cream, [and] salt. I do allow myself a turn or two of the salt grinder to balance out the sweetness of the sweet potato.

Yesterday, I sat down at my desk, powered up my laptop, and BOOM, there it was: a calendar notification-impersonal that my mom died 2 years ago today. As if, I…

About the Author

Stephanie Zimmerman

She has been a cancer patient, survivor, heart transplant recipient and documentary film producer.

As a child, she was successfully treated for Ewing’s Sarcoma. Her experience led her to become a nurse serving the physical, psychosocial, and educational needs of children, adolescents, and their families along the cancer trajectory.

Stephanie holds a B.A. in Psychology from Furman University, and a B.S., and M.S in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Florida. At Dartmouth, Stephanie helped establish the Survivorship Clinic with Eric Larsen, MD and Sara Chaffee, MD. This clinic provided ongoing personal support and education for childhood cancer survivors and their families.

In April 2008, Stephanie’s heart failed as a result of the radiation and Doxorubicin used to cure her Ewing’s Sarcoma as a child. She received a heart transplant at the Cleveland Clinic.

As a result of this experience, she co-produced an award winning documentary ‘Resilient: the Story of Late Effects of Cancer Treatment’, highlighting the challenges faced by survivors, families, and friends.

Stephanie resides in the metro Atlanta area with her husband and their 12-year-old-son. The Zimmermans enjoy everything from Formula One Racing and college & NFL football to go carting, ziplining, and cycling.